| It may seem obvious to many people why literacy is | | | | literacy rates averaged over 90 percent, making |
| so important in our technologically advanced society. | | | | illiteracy rates less than 10 percent. By 1850, literacy |
| However, many parents may not fully realize the | | | | rates in Massachusetts and other New England |
| emotional pain and life-long damage illiteracy can | | | | States, for both men and women, was close to 97 |
| cause their children. Literacy, the ability to read well, is | | | | percent. This was before Massachusetts created the |
| the foundation of children's education. | | | | first compulsory public-school system in America in |
| If children can't read well, every subject they try to | | | | 1852. What is literacy like in our public schools today? |
| learn will frustrate them. If they can't read math, | | | | In 1995, a student teacher for a fifth-grade class in |
| history, or science textbooks, if they stumble over | | | | Minneapolis wrote the following letter to the local |
| the words, they will soon give up reading out of | | | | newspaper: ". . . I was told [that] children are not to |
| frustration. Asking children who are poor readers to | | | | be expected to spell the following words correctly: |
| study these subjects is like asking them to climb a | | | | back, big, call, came, can, day, did, dog, down, get, |
| rope with one arm. | | | | good, if, in, is, it, have, he, home, like, little, man, |
| Kids learn to read in their most formative years, | | | | morning, mother, my, night, off, out, over, people, |
| which is why reading can profoundly affect their | | | | play, ran, said, saw, she, some, soon, their, them, |
| self-esteem. When children learn to read, they also | | | | there, time, two, too, up, us, very, water, we, went, |
| start learning how to think abstractly, because words | | | | where, when, will, would, etc. Is this nuts?" |
| convey ideas and relationships between ideas. How | | | | In 2002, the New York State Education Department's |
| well they read therefore affects children's feelings | | | | annual report on the latest reading and math scores |
| about their ability to learn. This in turn affects how | | | | for public school students found:o 90 percent of |
| kids feel about themselves generally whether a child | | | | middle schools failed to meet New York State |
| thinks he or she is stupid or bright. Children who | | | | minimum standards for math and English exam |
| struggle with reading often blame themselves and | | | | scores.o 65 percent of elementary schools flunked |
| feel ashamed of themselves. | | | | the minimum standards.o 84 percent of high schools |
| As Donald L. Nathanson, M.D., Clinical Professor of | | | | failed to meet the minimum state standards.o More |
| Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical | | | | than half of New York City's black and hispanic |
| College noted: "First reading itself, and then the whole | | | | elementary school students failed the state's English |
| education process, becomes so imbued with, stuffed | | | | and math exams. About 30 percent of white and |
| with, amplified, magnified by shame that children can | | | | asian-american students failed to achieve the |
| develop an aversion to everything that is education." | | | | minimum English test scores.o The results for eighth |
| Often, poor readers will struggle just to graduate | | | | grade students were even worse. Here, 75 percent |
| from high school. They can lose general confidence in | | | | of black and hispanic students flunked both the |
| themselves, and therefore the confidence to try for | | | | English and the math tests. About 50 percent of |
| college or pursue a career. Their job opportunities can | | | | white and Asian-American eighth graders failed the |
| dry up. Their poor reading skills and low | | | | tests. These illiteracy rates are now common in public |
| self-confidence can strangle their ability to earn | | | | schools across America, not just in New York City. |
| money. They can struggle financially their whole lives. | | | | In short,as shown by the New York State Education |
| If they marry and have children, they can struggle | | | | Department's annual report and other studies, |
| even more. | | | | student illiteracy rates in many public schools range |
| Life for illiterate adults can easily degenerate into | | | | from 30 to 75 percent. This is an education horror |
| misery, poverty, failure, and hopelessness. According | | | | story. |
| to a 1992 study by the National Institute for Literacy, | | | | That is what illiteracy can mean, what it does mean |
| "43 % of Americans with the lowest literacy skills live | | | | for millions of public-school children who can barely |
| in poverty and 70 % have no job or a part-time job. | | | | read. Does any parent want this kind of future for |
| Only 5% of Americans with strong literacy skills live in | | | | his or her children? I argue in my book, "Public |
| poverty." | | | | Schools, Public Menace" that our public school system |
| As Dr. Grover Whitehurst, Assistant Secretary of the | | | | is the primary cause of this tragic illiteracy, and one |
| U.S. Department of Education, said, "Reading is | | | | reason why these schools are a menace to our |
| absolutely fundamental. It's almost trite to say that. | | | | children. |
| But in our society, the inability to be fluent consigns | | | | A great movie to see that shows the tragic |
| children to failure in school and consigns adults to the | | | | consequences of illiteracy is "Stanley and Iris" with |
| lowest strata of job and life opportunities." | | | | Robert DeNiro and Jane Fonda. After you see this |
| By the 1850s, before we had compulsory, | | | | movie, you might think twice about keeping your |
| government-controlled public schools, child and adult | | | | children in public schools. |